Crafting insights and stories
Field notes from the kitchen: choosing, storing and using single-origin vanilla.
How to select vanilla beans
What to look for when buying whole vanilla: moisture, aroma, sheen, and the difference grade makes.
Madagascar vanilla vs Uganda vanilla
Both are Bourbon-type vanilla. Here's how their flavor, growing seasons and best uses actually differ.
How to make high-quality vanilla extract
A simple, proven method: the right beans, the right alcohol, and the patience to wait eight weeks.
How to store vanilla beans so they stay supple
Room temperature, airtight, and out of the light. What helps a pod keep its moisture, what dries it out, and how to tell frost from mold.
Give spent vanilla pods a second life
A scraped pod still carries flavor. Vanilla sugar, infusions, extract jars, and powder: five honest uses before anything hits the bin.
How to split and scrape a vanilla pod
Thirty seconds of knife work, done cleanly: anchoring the pod, splitting it straight, and getting every bit of caviar out.